The queen
by Joe Guasa
Summary: this has nothing to do with dragonlance, as none of those characters appear in it, but the saga inspired me to write this


I  
  
"Ha ha! Lookee whut we foind!" said one, as he stared at the horse and the frightened woman. "Oi don' know, maybe we ought to let 'er go. Taint roit ter do dis.", said the other. One pair of eyes stared from the bushes at the side of the road. "But she got food." said the first." Oi 'aven't 'ad a good meal in days."."Hey, 'ow 'bout we do dis, we jus taik 'er money an' we goes on our way?". "Okay, sounds aright wit me."  
  
As they approached the woman, the bandits heard a sound behind them, and as they whirled around, the bushes exploded in a shower of leaves. From them sprinted a man dressed all in gray and different shades of brown, and wearing a cloak of the same material and color. He had a drawn sword in his hand, and a strip of cloth the same color as his clothing wrapped around his face, exposing only his eyes. His eyes were gray and cold as he silently charged the thieves. At the look in this strange man' eyes, the bandits panicked and ran into the forest. The woman watched all of this with terror.  
  
When it was clear the bandits were not going to come back, the stranger turned around slowly to face the woman. The eyes wore the same expression as before.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked.  
  
After a moment of hesitation, she replied "Yes, thank you."  
  
He turned away and was walking back into the foliage when she said "Wait!".  
  
When he didn't pay attention and kept walking away, she said "Stop! I command you."  
  
At this he turned around and his eyes suddenly radiated danger. "Or what?" he asked warningly.  
  
She noticed that he had not sheathed his sword yet and that it was gripped in his hand, and pointing at her.  
  
"I saw how you dealt with those robbers. I would like it if you were to become my bodyguard on my journey".  
  
"I don't think so." he replied. "I would pay you handsomely."  
  
At this his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How handsomely? And where are you headed?" he inquired.  
  
"I will pay you two pouches of gold, and I'm headed into the Barbarian Empire."  
  
"That would be suicide. You'd never make it halfway before you were captured or killed." he said icily.  
  
"That is why I want you to guard me through the journey. It will only be to get through there. After that I can continue on my own".  
  
"I will do it, but for three bags of gold" he said.  
  
"Done" she said. "By the way, if I'm to be with you for several weeks, I would like to know your name. My name is Elisa"  
  
"Daniels", came the simple reply, as he started to walk down the road in the direction of the Barbarian Empire. Elisa mounted her horse and followed Daniels down the road.  
  
II  
  
After a few days they came to the edge of the Barbarian Empire. Here, Daniels stopped and dismounted. "We should rest before we enter hostile territory" he explained.  
  
He had removed the strip of cloth covering his face, and it showed a straight nose, and a straight mouth. All in all, it showed a very serious face, one that was almost always locked in that expression.  
  
"Alright" said Elisa.  
  
After about half an hour, they mounted again and crossed the invisible border. They were now in hostile territory. They entered a plain that was almost bare of life. There were trees standing alone at very prolonged intervals, and a few bugs, but aside from that there was only Daniels and Elisa. As they walked, there was no conversation between the two.  
  
The walked for several days, stopping only for short intervals to sleep and eat. When they got to the end of the plains, they arrived at the edge of rolling hills covered in mist.  
  
"The Misty Moors" said Daniels.  
  
"What now?" asked Elisa.  
  
"We cross them" the other replied.  
  
And so they plunged into the mist. From the beginning of their journey together, they had not encountered another person. This continued for another day after they entered the Moors. On this day, as they rode on, the silence became uncomfortable between the two. As they rode on in silence, they both heard a distinct whistling. Suddenly, out of nowhere there appeared a rock in mid-flight, which struck Elisa on the side of the head. She blacked out and slipped from the saddle. Daniels looked about warily but heard and saw nothing, so he picked up Elisa and started looking for shelter. He found a cave not very far from where they had apparently been attacked. He lay Elisa down and kept watch for the remainder of the day.  
  
When Elisa woke up on the morning, the first thing she noticed was that her head was throbbing. She then sat up and looked at her surroundings. She saw Daniels sitting by a small fire at the entrance of the cave with his hand on his sword hilt. She got up and walked in a stooped position, for the ceiling was quite low, to Daniels' side, and asked him,  
  
"What happened?".  
  
"You got hit on the head by a low branch", he replied so as to not alarm her.  
  
"Oh", said Elisa, "and where are we going today?".  
  
"There is a village on the outskirts of the Moors. We should be able to get there sometime after noon." said Daniels.  
  
"Then lets get going" said Elisa.  
  
"We cannot leave just yet." said Daniels, stopping her.  
  
"Why not?" she asked.  
  
"We are being watched by someone" said Daniels.  
  
As they were talking, a stone suddenly materialized from the mist. "Duck!" shouted Daniels.  
  
Seconds later, Daniels and Elisa heard shouts coming from the opening of the cave. The shout was repeated several times.  
  
"Run" said Daniels calmly.  
  
Just as the words wee out of his mouth, dozens of men brandishing clubs and several different types of blades came shouting through the cave opening. Daniels unsheathed his sword slowly and put it on the ground in front of the person that seemed to be in charge as a sign of surrender. This man signaled for Daniels and Elisa to be tied up. Some of the men stepped forward and bound their hands behind their backs. They let their feet free so that they could walk. Daniels and Elisa let themselves be led away. They had no idea where they were going and their sense of direction was confused due to the mist and all the turns.  
  
They did not know how long they had been walking, or they had lost their sense of time as well, but it seemed to be hours. Soon they came to a village. Although its people looked to be very primitive, they did not stare at the captives and their eyes spoke of intelligence and deep understanding. As they were led on, they suddenly stopped. In front of them was a massive stone wall.  
  
III  
  
The top was not visible from where they were standing. One of their guards spoke some words that made no sense to the captives, and a part of the wall disappeared. Elisa and Daniels were fascinated by the entrance.  
  
They entered the gates, and there was a tunnel leading to the other side. Daniels estimated that the tunnel was about fifteen meters long. As they exited the tunnel, they were surprised to be in the sunlight. At that moment Daniels and Elisa realized that the mist was magical and that the walls were too, based on the knowledge that the mist did not enter the city. The city in itself was enormous, made completely out of stone. The two structures that made an immediate impression in the captives' minds were a magnificent palace in the center of the city, with a domed roof made of gold, marble walls and crystal windows and a temple in the form of a pyramid with steps going to the top, which was flat. There were statues that seemed to represent their gods. The houses even of the poorest inhabitants were miniature replicas of the great palace, and all the people were dressed very richly. There seemed to be no poverty aside from the fact that the village outside the city walls was extremely crude.  
  
Daniels and Elisa were led down several streets to a building that served as a jail. They were then put into separate cells and left alone. That night, as Elisa sat sitting in the dark wondering what they would do, she heard the sound of metal falling softly to the floor. The sound was repeated several times. Moments later she saw Daniels' face at the door to her cell. Without speaking, he sliced at the bars on her door with his sword. The bars fell to the floor.  
  
Elisa exited her cell and asked how he had recovered his sword, and Daniels answered that it was magical. Elisa left it at that because Daniels led her to the jail entrance.  
  
"Wait here." he said, and without waiting for an answer unsheathed his sword and stepped out the door.  
  
Elisa peeked through the opening. Daniels suddenly had two swords in his hands. As the guards turned around to face him, Daniels launched his attack. His swords were a flashing blur, and no sound came from him. The guards were cut down in seconds.  
  
When the silent battle was over, Daniels signaled to Elisa that it was safe to come out. Elisa watched in wonder and astonishment as his twin swords melted into one. This Daniels stuck in his scabbard. As they passed the guards, Elisa reached down and picked up a long, wicked looking dagger. When Daniels gave her a questioning look, she said "What? I know how to use it". Daniels just shrugged and kept walking.  
  
When they were out on the streets, Elisa asked Daniels where he had gotten such a rare weapon. It was then that Daniels decided to tell her about his past.  
  
"I was in a slave army under the minotaurs back in the Sorcerers War. In this war magic was used as a weapon, where in the past it was only used as a healing method. The battles were unnatural. I saw soldiers just rise in the air and be flung into space by nothing that I could see. Strange monsters were seen on all sides, and dragons, the highest of all the races were killed in seconds. I once saw the destruction of an entire kingdom.  
  
"I was one of the finest fighters in my army. The best soldiers were usually given magical weapons. These could become any weapon we wanted them to be and return to our hand at will if they fell. 'These weapons,' said the generals,' will ensure that you stay alive.' But of course, what went unsaid was that they wanted us to stay alive to keep on fighting for them.  
  
"Near the end of the War, my army as supposed to attack the Ghost Empire and destroy it. We were caught off guard near the Cliffs of Doom, and let me tell you, it is not named the Ghost Empire for nothing. Its people move noiselessly on any terrain, and they fight in a unique way. They attack in ambushes, striking all around at the same time and then withdrawing. And when we chased them, they turned back on us and reinforcements seemed to spring from the ground itself.  
  
"My army was destroyed that day. The only survivors were the ones that had been given magical weapons, and we were not more than fifty. We who survived drove back the Ghost armies until they left us alone. In this battle we saw the full potential of our weapons. Apart from what I told you before, they increased our fighting skill. It was almost as if they did all the fighting.  
  
"Each magical weapon has a name. When I received mine, I was told that its name was Dragons Fear. There are only two swords like mine that still exist. They are unique in the sense that the person that is using them does not get tired even after they have been fighting for hours on end. The other weapon's name is Honor's Face. It is an axe when it is in its natural form."  
  
Daniels finished his story, and as he and Elisa walked down the street, they heard a voice say "I liked that story. But then again, I like any kind of story. Can you make your sword become two again?"  
  
Daniels whirled around with his hand on his sword hilt, and Elisa drew her dagger. Daniels looked around. He suddenly saw a shadow detach itself from the darkness and move around to their side.  
  
Daniels crept into the shadows and waited a few moments for his eyes to become accustomed to the dark. In a corner he saw a huddled figure, and slowly moved toward it. As he came closer the figure started to take on a human form. Daniels grabbed at the person's neck. It tried to get away, but Daniels didn't let go. Suddenly, the nameless figure turned around and drew a knife. Daniels and the figure grappled for a few moments and then fell into the street. In the moonlight Daniels saw the person's face. It was an elf, which left Daniels completely stunned, because it was said that they were completely wiped out in the War.  
  
IV  
  
The elf looked at Daniels and Elisa with a sly grin and a strange light in his eyes.  
  
"I like you" he said,  
  
"Can I go with you to wherever that you're going?"  
  
"No" said Daniels sternly.  
  
"I know the way out of the city" said the elf in a singsong voice.  
  
"You still can't come with us" said Elisa.  
  
"Than I won't help you" said the elf, and started to walk away. Daniels grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.  
  
"You're going to show us how to get out of here." said Daniels.  
  
"Or what?" asked the elf.  
  
"Or I'll hamstring you and leave you to the city guards. I'm quite sure they don't like elves that put their noses into other people's business.  
  
The elf stared at Daniels' eyes and didn't doubt that that was what would happen to him if he didn't lead them.  
  
"Okay. But if I lead you out you won't leave me inside here, right?"  
  
"Right" said Daniels.  
  
"What is your name?" asked Elisa.  
  
"My name is Saldarght Treeclimber, but I let my friends call me Sal."  
  
"Ok, Sal, now get us out of here."  
  
Elisa and Daniels had a hard time keeping up with Sal. He so quiet and he melted into the shadows. Finally, after many turns, they reached the city walls. Sal drew out a glass vial with a clear liquid in it. This he threw on the wall. Then he recited some words in the same language they had heard their captors speak when they opened the tunnel and entered the city. The tunnel now appeared in front of them. Daniels, Elisa and Sal raced out. Bells suddenly started ringing.  
  
"They've found the dead guards!" said Sal.  
  
Behind them they heard a shout. The earth started shaking. They ran faster. As they ran on, the mist started to dissipate. "They are going to see us out in the open" cried Elisa. As they reached the fringes of the mist, Sal stopped them. They were surrounded by stone statues that were extremely lifelike. The statues all wore scared features.  
  
"They'll cut us down!" said Daniels.  
  
"Just watch" said Sal.  
  
The cries came closer. Thunder sounded in their ears. It seemed as if all the armies in the world had come for them. As the soldiers came out of the mist, their skin touched the free air. The soldiers suddenly stopped in their tracks, fear written on their faces. Before they could turn around, their skin turned to stone. Many of the guards were turned to stone before the rest could stop from exiting the mist. All the soldiers could do was shout curses and shoot arrows, although they had few bows and couldn't see their quarry.  
  
Daniels and Elisa turned around and started walking away. Sal started to follow, but Daniels turned around, and said "Follow us, and I'll make you regret it".  
  
Sal, being thus discouraged, turned around and went the other way. Daniels and Elisa left and continued their journey. Around midday, Elisa realized that they had nothing with them.  
  
"Daniels, "she said, "What are we going to eat?".  
  
"Nothing", he replied.  
  
An hour later Elisa collapsed from lack of food. Daniels took her to a small cluster of trees and made camp. After making sure that she was well hidden he left to look for food on the plain. It was the early afternoon, and Daniels hadn't found anything to eat. After searching for a while, on the top of a rise, he saw a caravan in the distance. He talked with the caravan master and made arrangements for himself.  
  
"Anything you need to go get at your campsite?" asked the caravan master.  
  
"I have everything I need right here" said Daniels.  
  
V  
  
Elisa was in a wasteland. All around her was silence. A forest lay near, and great cliffs loomed behind her. She heard a scraping noise coming from the cliffs. She turned around, and as she did so, gaping holes opened in the rock. "Magic" she thought to herself.  
  
Out of the holes came tall majestic warriors, dressed in battle armor. They came in long columns, column after column after column. A chill cry came from the forest behind her. She quickly turned her head, and was just in time to see bent but powerful figures come slowly but surely out of the shadows.  
  
As the two armies came face to face, all was silent for a mere second. Then came the sound of battle cries and trumpets and horns being blown. The tall warriors right behind Elisa did not seem to notice her presence, and they charged the battle field. The strange figures in the forest did the same. The ground was shaking, and to Elisa it felt like an earthquake. Suddenly, in the middle of the plain, the terrible armies met, and there was a roar in Elisa's ears that she had only heard once before.  
  
It was a horrible sight that met her eyes that moment, and she turned away so as to not see the bloodshed, though she certainly heard it. As she did so, she looked up the cliff, and saw a third army, as large as the first. But this army wasn't the proud army defending a kingdom or a country, this was a slave army. This one also appeared to have mercenaries. One group of soldiers was scanning the cliff floor, away from the battle, and as they passed her position, their gazed seemed to stop, but only for a moment. One of the front figures looked familiar. He looked a little like Daniels. He was dressed in a gray cloak, but he carried a huge battle axe, large enough for a Minotaur, not a sword. Most of this select group continued their objective of searching for something, yet the particular man just described did not move his gaze. Elisa felt a chill run down her spine.  
  
Elisa woke up in the little cluster of trees in the middle of the deserted plain. She was sweating, and was extremely cold. There was no fire, no security in Daniels' presence, as he appeared to not be there. She was a high class lady, in the middle of nowhere. She did not know where she was, and was going to have to wait till sunrise to find out which way she had to go. Sunrise was some hours away, and in the meantime, she was suffering from an ever sharpening pain in her stomach.  
  
Elisa got up, and was frightened by the sudden detachment of a shadow from a tree.  
  
"Hey!!!" said the shadow.  
  
Elisa jumped at the noise.  
  
"It's me, Sal."  
  
"Oh, hi" said Elisa "You scared me".  
  
"So where's the guy with the big sword?" asked Sal.  
  
"I don't know" replied Elisa.  
  
Yeahyeah, I know it sux balls, but hey, it passes the time. I don't think ill write another chapter for a long time, since I get bored with stuff after a while. But hey, maybe a few reviews will make me change my mind. 


End file.
